Rome, Italy, 20-21 March 2014

Registration opens at: 8:00 hrs
The opening of the meeting: 9:00 hrs

Background

Several countries have requested FAO to facilitate international dialogue on the issue of trade disruptions involving low levels of GM crops in international food and feed trade. Such an initial dialogue would review the extent and pattern of trade disruptions based on reporting from member countries and would explore likely trends. The Technical Consultation aims at facilitating a common understanding of the issue. The meeting is not intended to reach policy agreements.

In 2013, FAO sent a questionnaire to all member countries to gather information on the extent and nature of problems incurred with low levels of GM in traded commodities. 75 countries responded to the questionnaire and a report summarizing and analyzing the response to the questionnaire has been prepared and will be presented at the Consultation as a basis for discussion.

Narrative report

• Narrative report of the Technical Consultation on low levels of GM crops in international food and feed trade
• List of participants

Documents

• Provisional agenda and timetable
• Meeting background note
• Visitor information (En)

Technical background documents

• FAO Survey results
• Low levels of GM crops in food and feed: Regulatory issues
• Low levels of GM crops in international food and feed trade: FAO international survey and economic analysis

Presentations

• Opening speech, Dr Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
• Meeting objectives, the structure of the meeting and introduction of session chairs, Renata Clarke, Senior Officer, Food Safety and QUality Unit, FAO
• Overview presentation, José Falck-Zepeda, Senior Research Fellow/Leader Policy Team, Program for Biosafety Systems, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI),
• Codex task force on food derived from biotechnology and the issue of low level presence (LLP), Tom Heilandt, Officer-in-Charge, Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretary
• Background information: Working definitions of low level presence (LLP) and adventitious presence (AP); and FAO GM Foods Platform, Masami Takeuchi, Food Safety Officer, Food Safety and Quality Unit, FAO
• Presentation by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Peter Kearns, Principal Administrator, OECD
• Presentation by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Alex Owusu-Biney, Global Environment Facility Coordination (GEF) Portfolio Manager for Biosafety, UNEP
• Presentation by World Trade Organization (WTO), Christiane Wolff, Counsellor, Agriculture and Commodities Division, WTO
• Introduction to the session and the LLP/AP incidents reported to FAO survey, Masami Takeuchi, FAO
• Presentation by European Commission (EC), Dorothee Andre, Head of Unit Biotechnology and Plant Health, Directorate General for Health and Consumers (DG SANCO), EC
• Presentation by Canada, Frédéric Seppey, Director General for Trade Agreements and Negotiations of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada
• Presentation by Sudan, Ula Abdelaziz Makkawi, Agriculture Engineer, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Quality control and export development Unit, Sudan
• Presentation by the Philippines, Antonio Alfonso, Program Coordinator, Department of Agriculture BIotech Program Implementation Unit, Phiippines
• Presentation by an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Michael Hansen, Senior Sientist, Consumers International/ Third World Network (TWN)
• Presentation by an industry group, Teresa Babuscio, Secretary General, European association representing the trade in cereals, rice feedstuffs, oilseeds, olive oil, oils and fats and agrosupply trade (COCERAL)
• Factors contributing to the occurrence of LLP/AP incidents, Esther Kok, FAO international consultant
• Trade, food prices and food security, Jamie Morrison, Senior Officer, Trade and Markets Division, FAO
• Food and feed regulatory issues, Gijs Kleter, FAO international consultant
• Challenges, needs and opportunities for developing countries - case of Bhutan, Kinley Pelden, Food Safety Officer, Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority (BAFRA), Bhutan
• Closing remarks, Ren Wang, Assistant Director General, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department, FAO

Invitation and registration process

The Consultation is open to all Members of FAO and to observers. FAO Members will receive an invitation letter that explains how to register for the meeting. Observers who wish to attend and observe the meeting should fill out the observer request form and forward it to: [email protected] together with their names, official titles and addresses and a recent passport-size digital color photograph.

Expenses incurred in connection with attendance at the Consultation and travel of representatives and observers shall be borne by the governments or organizations concerned. Limited funding is available to support the attendance of approximately 45 representatives from developing countries at the consultation. For more details consult the meeting background note and contact us at [email protected].

How to apply for financial support

FAO Members that meet all criteria of eligibility for funding (see background note) should first register to the meeting according to the instructions on the invitation letter, then send and e-mail to [email protected] containing a photocopy of the photo page of their passport, participant(s)' first name and last name (as they appear on their passport), e-mail address, telephone number (including country code) and country name. The e-mail message's subject should be “Application: (country name)”. The deadline for applications for financial support has been extended to 10 March 2014 and applicants must ensure they register prior to this or the application will not be accepted. Note that the deadline for registration has also been extended to 10 March 2014.

Visa information

Participants requiring visas must obtain these from the Italian Consulate or competent Diplomatic Mission in their country before leaving for Rome. Visa applications must be submitted well in advance of departure, it may take up to three weeks for an Italian visa to be issued. Exclusively those participants traveling from a country where there is no Italian Consulate or other competent Diplomatic Mission may obtain a visa on arrival in Rome, provided that they advise the Secretariat of the meeting ([email protected]) of their full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number (scanned copy of passport), issue and expiry dates, flight number, date and hour of arrival and their full travel itinerary, which must not include any other Schengen country. This information must reach FAO at least three weeks before the arrival of participants to permit the Protocol Branch to request that a visa be issued at Rome airport. Participants failing to comply with the above will not be allowed to enter Italy by the Italian authorities.

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